Severe weather is widespread across the North Island.

A parliamentary inquiry has been set up to look at the closure of bank branches across New South Wales regional and rural towns.

For Junee in the state's Riverina, the inquiry couldn't have come at a better time, with the last bank in town announcing it's closing its doors within weeks.

The town of almost 7000 has banded together to try and save the last branch in the area by lobbying the government and signing petitions. 

READ MORE: Murder investigation underway after man's body found in Gold Coast backyard

Maisie Robinson, 89, has been with the Commonwealth Bank branch since 1943.

She brought her bank book revealing a deposit of seven shillings she made as a nine-year-old to the protest.

"Not every one has got a mobile phone or a computer and not everyone can travel to other towns," Robinson said.

"And we want face time."

Other locals are also unimpressed with the closure of their only branch.

"I don't like it," Rita Webb said. 

Leonie Wilson said she was "a bit old-fashioned" and not used to using a bank card.

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Businesses such as the famous Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory are worried about the closure too.

"We are going to do our banking and our deposits in our neighbouring town of Wagga Wagga, which is about an hour round trip," sales and marketing manager Rhiannon Druce said.

"So it just becomes more pressure on us."

Junee once had four banks. Six years ago it was two, and then ANZ left.

The Commonwealth Bank will close its branch on March 3.

"We regularly review our services across Australia to help inform decisions on where to open, renovate or upgrade branches, or in some instances where to close branches," regional general manager Norm Swift said.

"After a recent review, we made the difficult decision to permanently close our Junee branch, which has had a 37 per cent drop in transactions over the five years before the coronavirus pandemic.

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"We've redeployed the vast majority of staff from branches that have closed, and are working closely with our people from Junee branch to support securing appropriate comparable roles suitable to their needs.

"We recognise some customers prefer to do their banking face-to-face and it's one of the reasons we're proud to maintain the largest branch network in the country."

Swift said the bank understood some customers preferred to do their banking in person.

"We invest around $50 million in our branch network each year to upgrade or refurbish existing branches and open new branches where we see customer demand," he said.

"Customers who prefer over-the-counter service still have access to this option, with other branches in the region at Wagga Wagga, Cootamundra and Temora."

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The regional general manager also pointed to banking options available at post offices around the region.

But local solicitor Michael Commins, who is in a wheelchair, said the local post office was not accessible for all to do their banking because of its step.

"Someone from Sydney has said we're going to close Junee without sending anyone out here, any thought about disability, it's not just me., you got prams, you got old people," Commins said.

More than 300 bank branches have closed nationally in the past two years and it has prompted the Senate to announce an inquiry into regional closures.

"These communities have given those banks so much over so many years," Riverina MP Michael McCormack said. 

"They deserve better now. Junee is not going to cop this."

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Boatie left at the mercy of the wind after rowlock in newly bought dinghy broke.

Two men have been captured brawling in traffic on a Melbourne road in an alleged road rage incident.

Witnesses say a ute driver approached a truckie on the Williamstown Road off-ramp on the West Gate Bridge.

Vision shows the two men throwing punches at one another.

READ MORE: Murder investigation underway after man's body found in Gold Coast backyard

The pair only stopped after another motorist intervened.

Watch the full story on 9News at 6pm.

The Queensland community of Tara is being evacuated as a raging bushfire threatens the town.

Police have asked residents to follow the instructions of authorities and evacuate after an emergency declaration was declared under the public safety preservation act.

The area affected includes Chinchilla Tara Road, Terese Road, Weitzels Road and South Road.

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Residents can keep up to date with the latest warnings on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website.

"Initial investigations indicate the fire started in a fuel drum near a house on Charles Street," Queensland Police said.

Paramedics remain on standby after one person was taken to Tara Hospital with smoke inhalation.

Queensland Fire and Emergency (QFES) warned residents in the nearby community of Montrose to leave immediately due to the evolving situation.

Several fires have erupted as the state swelters through its hottest day in more than a year just days after bracing for heavy rain and flooding as a result of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.

Residents in Wolvi near Gympie have been told to prepare to leave as a fire burns through the area.

Fires are also burning in Springside, Kobble Creek and Wieambilla with residents urged to watch and act.

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There is currently no threat to properties in Springside, Kobble Creek and Wieambilla but QFES said the situation could change quickly.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) earlier issued an extreme fire danger warning for Darling Downs and Granite Belt in the state's southeast.

The bureau said the fire risk is being driven by the heatwave, low humidity and a southwesterly wind.

Fire warnings will remain for several days in the region and could lead to "uncontrollable" blazes.

It comes as a searing heatwave bore down on the state as the mercury soared 10C above average.

"Hot to very hot conditions combined with fresh west to southwesterly winds will lead to elevated fire dangers over southeast Queensland today," the bureau said.

A heatwave warning was issued earlier for the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfields and Wide Bay and Burnett Districts.

Western suburbs around Amberley and Ipswich have exceeded 39C for the first time since December 2020.

Nearby areas of the Wide Bay and Burnett and Capricornia coast have reached near 40C.

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There are still severe storm warnings in place for the far north of Queensland in the Cape York Peninsula as an active monsoon is plaguing the area, the bureau said.

Heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding in the region.

A hazardous surf warning is in place for Fraser Island, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

"Conditions are hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming," the BoM warned.

Cyclone risk eases, but heavy swells remain

The extreme heat is expected to ease tomorrow as the tropical cyclone moves away and a cooler onshore wind change arrives, triggering widespread showers and storms on Tuesday.

"Good news in south eastern Queensland, today will be the hottest day.
the winds will turn easterly tomorrow and bring some relief," the bureau said.

"Down around the low 30s in Brisbane, maybe 34C in Ipswich.

"For areas further north, they will see another hot day on Monday with similar temperatures to what they saw today and will cool down around Tuesday."

But temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s for another week in southeast Queensland.

All severe weather warnings for Norfolk Island have now been cancelled, however damaging surf is expected to continue. 

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https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1624488791095521280

Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle has left some destruction on Norfolk Island with residents reporting that trees and power lines down.

But the threat of the cyclone is now moving towards northern New Zealand bringing winds of up to 100 km/h and heavy rain.

READ MORE: Family-of-six saved from the rubble after 102 hours

Overnight, 105km winds smashed into the island, prompting warnings from the Bureau.

However, the ex-tropical cyclone has transitioned into a vigorous sub-tropical low pressure system as it continues to move further away from Norfolk Island.

Winds have eased and gales with damaging wind gusts are no longer expected, however high waves are likely continuing around parts of the island.

Auckland Transport is urging people to avoid all non-urgent travel until Tuesday.

All Far North schools have made the decision to close on Monday as the cyclone bears down.

A murder investigation is underway after a man's body was found in the backyard of a Gold Coast property.

Queensland Police were called to a home on Lillian Crescent in Ashmore around 8.45am for a welfare check.

When officers arrived they found a body, believed to be a 62-year-old man, in the backyard.

READ MORE: Bushfires erupt in Queensland as state swelters through heatwave

"The property was immediately declared a crime scene," police said.

"Specialist scientific and forensic officers are in attendance conducting examinations.

"A mobile police facility has been deployed to the scene to assist investigations."

Police are asking anyone with information or CCTV of the area to from overnight or this morning to come forward.

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Over the last three months, the man had committed six aggravated robberies across Auckland

Gabrielle is driving incredible waves near NZ, with buoys showing some nearly 10m high.